Children at West House study English in order to develop skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, which will enable them to communicate effectively and express themselves in creative and imaginative ways. Studying English allows pupils to recognise the origins, patterns and structures of language which, in turn, they can select and adapt appropriately for a wide variety of purposes.

 

Reading skills and strategies which improve fluency, accuracy, comprehension and enjoyment are learned and developed throughout the school. In Early Years there is a programme of phonic and word recognition teaching leading to the use of structured reading schemes. As independence in reading is achieved, there is access to a wide range of materials of all genres in the school and class libraries. Formal reading lessons focus upon specific skills and strategies, involving a full range of texts; narrative, dramatic, poetry, non-fiction and non-literary, in print and in ICT-based formats.

 

Pupils learn to write independently and creatively in a range of forms suited to purpose and reader. They learn to make choices about style, structure, presentation and vocabulary, organising texts appropriately for the task, and punctuating their writing accurately. Writing skills are developed through the provision of a variety of opportunities and contexts for writing. This may encompass an extensive range of activities which involve writing texts individually, as groups or as a whole class, and may be on paper or on screen.

 

The ability to speak for different purposes and audiences as an individual or as part of a group is promoted, along with listening and responding appropriately to the comments of others.

 

Specific preparation is undertaken for the entrance examinations of Birmingham’s leading grammar and independent schools.